Device for connecting and holding up floorboards

ABSTRACT

A device provides for connecting and holding up two adjacent pieces of floorboard each including on its underside, two longitudinal grooves, two transverse grooves across the longitudinal grooves and two L-shaped longitudinal recesses along both sides. The device comprises two identical sections each including a plurality of longitudinal and transverse troughs at its underside and a plurality of longitudinal and transverse latched elements at its upper side. The latched elements of one section are snapped into the grooves and recesses of both pieces of floorboard and the latched elements of the other section are snapped into the troughs of one section respectively. Thus, the invention can connect a plurality of pieces of floorboard together.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to floorboards and more particularly to an improved device for connecting and holding up pieces of floorboard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Prior art devices for connecting and joisting floorboards take various forms. However, such connecting and joisting devices typically are not durable and unreliable in use. To the worse, the malfunctioned connecting and joisting device may hurt person(s) stood or walked thereon. Thus improvement exists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for connecting and holding up two adjacent rectangular or square pieces of floorboard each including on its underside, two longitudinal grooves, two transverse grooves across the longitudinal grooves and two L-shaped longitudinal recesses along both sides. The device comprises two identical rectangular or square first and second sections each including at its underside, two first longitudinal troughs adjacent both sides, a second longitudinal trough at the center, and a cross-shaped trough between and in communication with one of the first longitudinal troughs and the second longitudinal trough; and at its upper side, two pairs of first longitudinal latched elements adjacent the sides, two second longitudinal latched elements at the center, and a pair of transverse latched elements interconnected one pair of first longitudinal latched elements and one of the second longitudinal latched elements; wherein one pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the first section are aligned with one longitudinal groove of one piece of floorboard, the pair of transverse latched elements are aligned with the transverse groove, the second longitudinal latched elements are aligned with the adjacent L-shaped longitudinal recesses of both pieces of floorboard, and the other pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the first section are aligned with the other longitudinal groove of the other piece of floorboard respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening; and in response, one pair of the first longitudinal latched elements, the pair of transverse latched elements, the second longitudinal latched elements, and the other pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the second section are aligned with one of the first longitudinal troughs, a transverse trough of the cross-shaped trough, the second longitudinal trough, and the other second longitudinal trough of the first section respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening.

[0004] In one aspect of the present invention, either section further comprises a second cross-shaped trough between and in communication with the other first longitudinal trough and the second longitudinal trough and a second pair of transverse latched elements interconnected the other pair of first longitudinal latched elements and the other second latched element, the second pair of transverse latched elements of the first section being snapped into the transverse groove of the other piece of floorboard, and the second pair of transverse latched elements of the second section being snapped into the a transverse trough of the second cross-shaped trough of the first section.

[0005] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of a connecting and joisting device according to the invention and two pieces of floorboard;

[0007]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled connecting and joisting device and pieces of floorboard of FIG. 1;

[0008]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of a connecting and joisting device according to the invention and two pieces of floorboard; and

[0009]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled connecting and joisting device and pieces of floorboard of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a first preferred embodiment of a connecting and joisting device according to the invention and two identical pieces of floorboard 1, 1′ to be assembled. The connecting and joisting device consists of two identical portions, i.e., a first section 2 and a second section 2′. Each of above components will now be described in detail below.

[0011] The piece of floorboard 1 has a shape of rectangular or square. On the underside of the piece of floorboard 1, there are provided two longitudinal grooves 11, two transverse grooves 13 across the longitudinal grooves 11 and two L-shaped longitudinal recesses 12 along both sides. The first section 2 is a rectangular member and comprises at one side, two first longitudinal troughs 25 at both sides, a second longitudinal trough 26 at the center, and a cross-shaped trough 27 between and in communication with one of the first longitudinal troughs 25 and the second longitudinal trough 26; and at the other opposite side facing the piece of floorboard, two pairs of first longitudinal latched elements 21 adjacent the sides, two central second longitudinal latched elements 22, and a pair of transverse latched elements 23 interconnected the pair of first latched elements 21 and one of the second latched elements 22.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 2, an assembly of the sections 2, 2′ and the pieces of floorboard 1, 1′ will now be described in detail below. First align one pair of the first latched elements 21 with one longitudinal groove 11 of one piece of floorboard 1, align the pair of transverse latched elements 23 with the transverse groove 13, align the second longitudinal latched elements 22 with the adjacent L-shaped longitudinal recesses 12 of both pieces of floorboard 1, 1′, and align the other pair of the first latched elements 21 with the other longitudinal groove 11 of the other piece of floorboard 1′ respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening. Next, align one pair of the first latched elements 21, the pair of transverse latched elements 23, the second latched elements 22, and the other pair of the first latched elements 21 of the second section 2′ with one first longitudinal trough 25, a transverse trough of the cross-shaped trough 27, the second longitudinal trough 26, and the other first longitudinal trough 25 respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening. Above two steps may be repeated a desired number of times for connecting a plurality of pieces of floorboard together on a floor.

[0013] Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a second preferred embodiment of the invention. The characteristics of the second preferred embodiment are detailed below. The first section comprises at one side, two first longitudinal troughs 25 at both sides, a second longitudinal trough 26 at the center, and two cross-shaped troughs 27, 28 in which the cross-shaped trough 27 is disposed between and in communication with one of the first longitudinal troughs 25 and the second longitudinal trough 26 and the cross-shaped trough 28 is disposed between and in communication with the other first longitudinal trough 25 and the second longitudinal trough 26; and at the other opposite side facing the piece of floorboard, two pairs of first longitudinal latched elements 21 adjacent the sides, two central second longitudinal latched elements 22, and two pairs of transverse latched elements 23, 24 in which the pair of transverse latched elements 23 is interconnected the pair of first latched elements 21 and one of the second latched elements 22 and the pair of transverse latched elements 24 is interconnected the other pair of first latched elements 21 and the other second latched element 22.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 4, an assembly of the sections 2, 2′ of the second embodiment and the pieces of floorboard 1, 1′ will now be described in detail below. First align one pair of the first latched elements 21 with one longitudinal groove 11 of one piece of floorboard 1, align the pair of transverse latched elements 23 with the transverse groove 13 of one piece of floorboard 1, align the second longitudinal latched elements 22 with the adjacent L-shaped longitudinal recesses 12 of both pieces of floorboard 1, 1′, align the pair of transverse latched elements 24 with the transverse groove 13 of the other piece of floorboard 1′, and align the other pair of the first latched elements 21 with the other longitudinal groove 11 of the other piece of floorboard 1′ respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening. Next, align one pair of the first latched elements 21, the pair of transverse latched elements 23, the second latched elements 22, the pair of transverse latched elements 24, and the other pair of the first latched elements 21 of the second section 2′ with one of the first longitudinal troughs 25, a transverse trough of the cross-shaped trough 27, the second longitudinal trough 26, a transverse trough of the cross-shaped trough 28 and the other first longitudinal trough 25 respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening. Likewise, above two steps may be repeated a desired number of times for connecting a plurality of pieces of floorboard together on a floor.

[0015] While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for connecting and holding up two adjacent rectangular or square pieces of floorboard each including on its underside, two longitudinal grooves, two transverse grooves across the longitudinal grooves and two L-shaped longitudinal recesses along both sides, the device comprising two identical rectangular or square first and second sections each including at its underside, two first longitudinal troughs adjacent both sides, a second longitudinal trough at the center, and a cross-shaped trough between and in communication with one of the first longitudinal troughs and the second longitudinal trough; and at its upper side, two pairs of first longitudinal latched elements adjacent the sides, two second longitudinal latched elements at the center, and a pair of transverse latched elements interconnected one pair of first longitudinal latched elements and one of the second longitudinal latched elements; wherein one pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the first section are aligned with one longitudinal groove of one piece of floorboard, the pair of transverse latched elements are aligned with one of the transverse grooves, the second longitudinal latched elements are aligned with the adjacent L-shaped longitudinal recesses of both pieces of floorboard, and the other pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the first section are aligned with the other longitudinal groove of the other piece of floorboard respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening; and in response, one pair of the first longitudinal latched elements, the pair of transverse latched elements, the second longitudinal latched elements, and the other pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the second section are aligned with one of the first longitudinal troughs, a transverse trough of the cross-shaped trough, the second longitudinal trough, and the other second longitudinal trough of the first section respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the sections further comprises a second cross-shaped trough between and in communication with the other first longitudinal trough and the second longitudinal trough and a second pair of transverse latched elements interconnected the other pair of first longitudinal latched elements and the other second latched element, the second pair of transverse latched elements of the first section being snapped into the transverse groove of the other piece of floorboard, and the second pair of transverse latched elements of the second section being snapped into the a transverse trough of the second cross-shaped trough of the first section. 